Lafreniere on what he can bring to a team; Byfield talks Malkin comparisons

Top-ranked North American prospect Alexis Lafreniere shares his excitement for the NHL draft and explains what he can bring to a team, while second-ranked North American prospect Quinton Byfield describes his game and talks about the comparisons he gets to Evgeni Malkin.

TSN.ca Staff

Lafreniere on what he can bring to a team; Byfield talks Malkin comparisons

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The NHL released their final rankings for 2020 NHL Entry Draft Wednesday and Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield were first and second among North American skaters.

The two talked about the upcoming draft on Wednesday after the rankings were unveiled.

Alexis Lafreniere

On his excitement for the Draft:

"Growing up it’s the dream of every hockey player. To see how close we are right now it’s exciting. It’s really fun, I think we’re all excited for the draft. The team that’s going to draft me, I’m going to be really happy to join them and try to have as much success as I can."

On his skills and being ranked No. 1:

"I’m a leader and I always want to win. When the game’s on the line I can make a difference and I think that’s a strong asset that I have. For sure there are some other really good players in the draft so it’s really special to be (ranked) No. 1 for sure."

On the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation:

"It’s a pretty weird situation that we’re in right now but I think everyone is doing their best to stay fit and personally I train at home. It’s not the same but I’ll try to stay fit and spend time with my family that I don’t see really often during the season. I try to spend as much time as I can with my family and try to train as hard as I can."

Quinton Byfield

On how he’d describe his game:

"It was definitely a big year for me. I think I’d describe myself as a hockey player as a big, two-way forward that tries to play a 200-foot game … I think the strongest part of my game is definitely my skating for a big guy. I try to use that to my advantage and find my teammates in the offensive zone and set them up."

On comparisons to a current NHL player:

"I’ve definitely drawn a couple comparisons out there. I think Evgeni Malkin, that’s just an honour to be compared to that guy. He’s a (future) Hall of Famer. I’m definitely watching as many Penguins games as possible just to see what he does on the ice and how he plays. He’s a big 200-foot centre and the amazing offensive ability he has and how he plays is just unbelievable. I definitely watch him quite a bit and try and mold my game after him."